I guess you can call me a new driver or new truck owner with a few questions. I have been an o/o with my own authority now for a little less than a year. I dont run the truck myself as I have a driver, and dont mess with brokering, as I stay busy running pretty much local (within 150 miles). Im currently running a Mack Vision with a 40' dump trailer. A little background and questions are that im in the process of buying a second truck and want to mainly put it over the road. I have another driver hired who has 35yrs experience otr. He is wanting to pull dry van mainly and use local brokers for loads. Most of the brokers are saying the truck will take home 1.35-1.75 per mile and will load within 30miles of here. This driver has much experience with these brokers and thinks he can basically manage the truck and the loads himself with minimun work from me (except for the final "OK"). I am not much on dry vans and suggested running flatbeds. Most of the brokers said there are alot more dry van runs than flatbed runs going out of our area and suggested trying that. There is a Wal-Mart DC 2 miles down the road from us and they claim is is aways easy to find the final run of the week back home to the DC (even though they dont pay the best). I guess my question is, are dry vans easier to find runs for and am I being told right at 1.35-1.75 per mile? Will a flatbed gross more weekly than a dry van with the same mileage? Does a guy want a 53' van or 48'? Do you really need a 53' and are you making any extra by having a 53' or are they just stacking more in it for the same money? The truck i'm looking to buy is an 04 Columbia with the mid-roof XT. I was gonna go condo, but with the mid-roof I can still pull a dump if I have to (I have two dumps anyway). I was just going to buy a new trailer also to keep maintence lower.
P.S I am 24yrs old and have already been deemed by others to fail with trucking. The first truck is working out and i'm seeing a descent profit so I figured why not try another. Any input or suggestions would be appreciated.
Flatbed or dry van?
Discussion in 'Questions From New Drivers' started by farmbig_01, Jul 16, 2007.
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this is only my opinion but if he does all the work and you do the "ok" then what happens if he quits or retires? are you going to know what to do for the next driver that you hire? the next question have you ever pulled over the road? which if you havent a lot of drivers will look down on you because you have no otr experience, its a different ball game. i do commend you on having your own authority at being so young. i am only 25 and have 3 years driving experience. depending on what you will haul on the size of trialor you will be needing. i know guys who have 48' foot trailors and love them, then i know guys who have 53' foot trailors and love them. but i guess it what your hauling that matters. most of the time the loads that i haul never go past the 48' foot mark,but their are occasions where i need the whole 53'. but that is just this truckers opinion.
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well, yeah the money is their but you have to make sure where you are hauling to and all that because companys like jb hunt, schneider,swift, basically all the big companys that are trying to cut everyones throat trying to get the loads before anyone else. then you have the brokers getting loads for other brokers drivers cause they do the same. its a deal with you scratch my back i will scrath yours. at least thats with alot of them. but their are still good loads and good brokers to go with.
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just because you dont have otr experience doesnt mean that you wont get loads. all i am trying to say that make sure you know how to do otr and get loads so if something happens to your driver your not out on your #####.
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